I Still Love You
by SignsofSam
Summary: oneshot s.2 finale....what happened afterwards? I wrote this in September


I know. I promised you If Only You Knew to be reposted. I'm not gonna lie; I've been very busy, so i haven't gotten around to it. Criticize me if you must, but, i come bringing a one shot. I wrote it months ago in school Enjoy. Lyric: Austin, blake shelton

"Hi."

It was a simple word, ringing mercilessly inside Nathan's head as he stared at the mirage before him. A short girl, long, wavy auburn hair that he loved to intertwine his calloused, athletic hands in during their past nights in his bed. Precious wide honey eyes that could easily melt his touch façade and could turn him to mush. She stood there, gold wedding band flashing in his azure eyes. Was she really there?

He stood there, breath pluggin up, mind muddling as thoughts raced. Was she there to torment him? Love him? Apologize to him? Pick up the thousands of millions of pieces to his broken heart? "What-what are you doing here? Tour in town?"

"Um…no…I'm not really sure where they are," she answered in a whisper. A whisper full of 'I'm sorry', full of apologies. He felt his heart's icy shield breaking again, melting under that whisper.

And then she said it.

I "I'm sorry."/I

Her voice was just barely there, a breath that reigned in heavy emotions, reigned in tears that were welling in her beautiful eyes. "I…I'm sorry, Nathan. I didn't…I was stupid; I was wrong; I hurt you, I hurt myself."

Nathan stood there, hearing her voice, but not understanding. I "How? How did you hurt yourself when all you were doing was slowly, painfully destroying me," /I Nathan told himself, not realizing he had spoken the harsh and brash words out loud.

"I hurt myself because I didn't listen to you; I didn't listen to my own heart. I had nothing to live for there, and the enthusiasm, the Haley you knew, was gone."

"The Haley I Ithought/I I knew wouldn't have left in the first place. IShe/I wouldn't hav e lied to me! That's what hurts the most, Haley. Not that you left me; I knew that someday you'd return, but the fact that you lied to me, Itold/I me you loved me, that you were in love with me….that's what's killing me the most."

A crash of thunder and bolt of lightening made them both jump with the realization that it was raining.

"That wasn't a lie."

"Well, it seemed like it was to me. If you loved me, you wouldn't have doubted us. II/I never did."

"Then, you are the stronger of us. Yes, I doubted, Nathan, but I never once gave into those doubts."  
"But you did give into Chris."

"IOnce/I did I give into tempatation; I don't trust myself because of it. I know that you shouldn't-"

Nathan cut her off, staring into her eyes. "And that's the problem, Haley. I do trust you, and I know that it's wrong, and I know that I should never do it again…and…and that scares me." His voice lowered. "I never stopped trusting."

"Haley stopped talking, backing into the rain, his words staining her heart. II never stopped trusting./I "Na-"

"And it's killing me inside because I've never stopped loving, hoping, praying, caring either."

Hands raised to her face, her cheek, now wet with both tears and the rain. "If you stand here today to me you love me, you'll never leave me again, then I'll let you know that that's all I ask for; that's all I want." With that, he shut the door, leaving her to the hate of the unforgiving outside world, and to her mind, tormenting her with ways to let him know.

To let him know that she was.

IShe was./I

Nathan made his way down the aisle to the exit door of the plane, wondering what to expect. A cold, unloving father, a distant mother, the woman he loved? He had called her many times this summer, never getting her, always the same cell phone meassage. "Hey, this is Haley…James…Scott." The last word was so quiet, as if asking for permission to still be called that. "Leave a message, yeah, at the beep, um…" with that, the beep came. He never left a message.

Nathan grabbed his bags, still seeing no one. He walked to the escalator to take him to the main door to the airport, contemplating calling a cab. His sky-blue pupils looked up, catching a white sign suspended by two small hands. He studied the hands, recognizing them as the hands that rubbed his back after a bad fight with his father, the hands that had constantly been removing his clothes after they got married. His eyes turned to the sign, Peyton's work in the background, hands intertwined, rings on their fingers. A heart of silver sharpied words in the middle, reaching out to his heart. They were words from a song he loved, slightly switched.

IIf you're wondering about my heart,

It's still yours,

I should have listened to it a little more,

Then it wouldn't have taken me so long

To know where I belong.

And by the way, boy,

This is no machine you're talking to,

Can't you tell, this is Haley/I

The biggest words on the page were written in pink, his heart beating hard.

II still love you./I

His eyes looked up, catching hers. They were still apart, yards and yards apart. He walked faster, and he saw her throw the sign, running to him. He caught her in his strong arms, hugging to her tight. "I've missed, oh I've missed you."

"I tried to call you, but every single time you weren't there," he heard her whispered, her head in his neck. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Hales, It's okay."

He set her down, his hands massaging her shoulders. He leaned into her, his mouth to her ear. "I still love you." She pulled back, hands on his forearms. "I still want you, I still need you, I still have to have you."

His lips met hers, and they melded together in a fiery, passionate kiss. Haley felt her knees buckle, Nathan catch her as she fell.

"I love you too," she whispered, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry. I won't ever leave you again."

"I couldn't stay mad at you if I tried," he replied, twisting their hands together. "It's not worth it. It's not worth the pain that I feel, and it's not worth it to be mad."

Haley leaned in, pressing a promise onto his lips. "I promise you, with all my heart, that I will stand here today and tell people that I'm not afraid, and I'm not ashamed, and I have no doubts."


End file.
